What Good Does Organic Waste Diversion Do
Recently Davidson Environmental took part in a green initiative expo. It is always a pleasure to meet people and explain what we do to help businesses achieve their green goals. At this particular expo the municipality was launching a green bin organics program and some of the residents were unaware of the benefits of running such a program. Their lack of awareness was expressed with a mixture of frustration, judgement, irritation, and curiosity. I thought this would be a great forum to highlight the facts and the basics of organic waste diversion.
- Organic waste generally refers to biodegradable, compostable waste. Examples include food scraps, yard and garden trimmings, food-soiled paper products and biosolids.
- As organic waste decomposes, it generates Methane a greenhouse gas which:
- increases global warming and
- contributes to climate change.
- Methane is responsible for around 30% of the current rise in global temperature.
- One third of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted every year
- When food is lost or wasted so are the resources that are required to grow, manufacture and distribute it.
- 40% of material sent to landfills is comprised of organic waste (where organic waste diversion is not practiced)
- “This equates to a global carbon footprint of approximately 4.4 billion tonnes of CO2annually “(Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2015).
- This constitutes half of the necessary carbon reduction needed to achieve the Paris Agreement goal of a 1.5oC temperature rise by 2050.
- “This equates to a global carbon footprint of approximately 4.4 billion tonnes of CO2annually “(Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2015).
That is a lot of numbers and percentages, but those are the cold, hard facts.
But there is good – green news:
A single business’s actions in diverting organic waste or composting can make a significant impact towards sustainability of our planet. Here are some of the benefits gained:
- Diverting organic waste extends the lifespan of landfills and reduces the environmental impact of waste disposal.
- Two streams of organic waste diversion
- Composting or
- Anaerobic digestion (producing Bio-Gas leaving natural fertilizer as the byproduct of the process – a win win)
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF COMPOSTING
- Soil Improvement: Compost enriches soil, improves water retention, and enhances plant growth.
- Water Conservation: Healthy soil, improved by compost, requires less irrigation, saving water.
- Resource Recovery: Composting recovers nutrients from organic waste, providing a valuable resource for agriculture and horticulture.
- Sustainability and Circular Economy: Composting promotes a more sustainable approach to waste management and supports the principles of a circular economy.
- Increased Job Creation: Composting facilities and related industries create green jobs in sorting, processing, and selling compost.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF COLLECTION FOR ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
- All of the benefits above plus…
- Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Diverting organic waste from landfills reduces the release of methane into the environment.
- The production of methane is contained and utilized as Biofuel (an equivalent to Natural Gas).
- Organic fertilizer is a byproduct.
The p Reducing and managing food waste saves: the land, air, water, cost of waste disposal, our planet and its future.
To see how our business can help your business achieve green goals, contact us.